Oatmeal or Other Hot Cereal

Name: Oatmeal or Other Hot Cereal
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: Pinch salt; 1 cup rolled oats (not instant); 1 tablespoon butter, optional; Maple syrup, sugar, or honey, to taste; Milk, cream, or half-and-half, optional; 1/2 cup raisins or any chopped dried fruit or fresh fruit, optional; 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

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Makes 2 servings 1x

Time 15 minutes

Units Scale

Ingredients

Pinch salt
1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
1 tablespoon butter, optional
Maple syrup, sugar, or honey, to taste
Milk, cream, or half-and-half, optional
1/2 cup raisins or any chopped dried fruit or fresh fruit, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Instructions

Put 2 1/4 cups water in a medium saucepan with the salt and the oats and turn the heat to high. When the water boils, turn the heat to low and cook, stirring frequently, until the water is just absorbed and big bubbles are popping on the surface, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter if you’re using it, cover the pan, and remove it from the heat.
Five minutes later, uncover the pan and stir. Drizzle or sprinkle on a little sweetener, pour in a splash of milk, and sprinkle on the fruit and cinnamon, as you like. Stir, taste, add more sweetener if necessary, and serve.

—Recipe from How to Cook Everything: The Basics

Recipe variations

Grits: This southern favorite is made with ground dried hominy, a kind of cornmeal with a tortilla-like taste. You can ﬁnd it—called simply grits—in most supermarkets; again, don’t buy the instant kind. In Step 1, use grits instead of the oatmeal and increase the water to 2 1/2 cups. Before turning on the heat, whisk the mixture until it’s smooth and free of lumps. Turn the heat to medium-high, whisking frequently, until it barely comes to a boil. Lower the heat so that the mixture bubbles gently and cook, whisking frequently, until it gets thick, with big, plopping bubbles, 10 to 15 minutes. (You want it to stay soupy as it cooks, so add water—2 tablespoons at a time—as necessary.) Then add the butter, cover, and let rest as described in the recipe. You can sweeten grits or add a handful of grated cheddar cheese.